England in Sri Lanka Red Ball

Stoke has the technique to play 3 mind
Yea, technique. I recall Atherton saying 1/2 years ago that Stokes probably had the best technique in the team at that time, see how straight he plays and the number of 4's through straight long on.

But it's more than technique, it's mindset and experience of coming in after one of the openers have got out cheap.

But I agree about technique.

Stokes has also got the technique to be a very destructive middle order player. His innings in Cape Town will live long in the memory.

After rubbishing the suggestion (oops), if he wants to do it ok.
 


Yea, technique. I recall Atherton saying 1/2 years ago that Stokes probably had the best technique in the team at that time, see how straight he plays and the number of 4's through straight long on.

But it's more than technique, it's mindset and experience of coming in after one of the openers have got out cheap.

But I agree about technique.

Stokes has also got the technique to be a very destructive middle order player. His innings in Cape Town will live long in the memory.

After rubbishing the suggestion (oops), if he wants to do it ok.

For me, he's too important a bowler. I think needs to be one of Bairstow and Buttler.

I don't have a firm choice between the 2 personally, just I'd say the feeling is Curran is ahead now. Remember he is Ed Smith's pick which will give him an advantage. Batting is so consistent, he scoring the runs of a top order player.

Aye agree, to be fair Mick Hunt the Lords groundsman was always his own man and never took requests from others

I love watching cricket on English pitches, I never get why people try and underplay it, doctored etc, its so good to watch

The ashes series in Australia was so so f***ing boring, I honestly don't mind losing, if its good cricket, but that was tedious, awful pitches with an awful ball.

Completely agree with this like. You want a proper contest between bat and ball. And ideally a pitch which offers something for everyone - bounce and seam early, spin late, swing if the conditions suit and reward for good batting whenever. We had three of them against India, a green top at Lord's and a burner at the Rose Bowl. But a proper contest throughout.

It's useless when there's nothing in it for the ball until day five. The only places you can guarantee variety like that these days is England or South Africa. Easily best places to watch cricket.

Where's everyone gan? We just won a test!!
 
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Great win, well done Foakes & Jennings with bat, Ali & Leach with the ball, be interesting to see what happens when Bairstow is fit again.
 
Just got out of the ground and into a bar across the road. Always seems to busier on here when England lose tbf.

Good excuse.

But where is everyone else?

You can usually rely on @The Rat giving some ball-by-ball, even if he's talking to himself!

Great win, well done Foakes & Jennings with bat, Ali & Leach with the ball, be interesting to see what happens when Bairstow is fit again.

I think what will happen is nothing.

He's fit for the next match. But he won't play. Simple.

Deserves a kick-up the arse imo after a summer where he seemed to sulk. And he can forget about being precious with the gloves again, Foakes is a completely different class to him behind the stumps.

He has more talent than anyone with the bat, the captain aside. He can focus on that for a bit and a couple of games out will assist his reflection. If he chooses to take it harshly, then he's a baby - there's a lad sitting next to him in the pavilion with over 400 test wickets!!
 
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The only change for Kandy (if any) will be in the bowling. Spell on the sidelines I think.

I'd be surprised if they change that tbh.

Do we think Broad or Stone are likely to get more wickets than Rashid - that's the only question to be considered.

Not convinced myself. Keep the team as it is... Stokes in short bursts can do whatever we might want from Stone anyway. His spell today was superb and he's going to get fitter as the series progresses.
 
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Good excuse.

But where is everyone else?

You can usually rely on @The Rat giving some ball-by-ball, even if he's talking to himself!



I think what will happen is nothing.

He's fit for the next match. But he won't play. Simple.

Deserves a kick-up the arse imo after a summer where he seemed to sulk. And he can forget about being precious with the gloves again, Foakes is a completely different class to him behind the stumps.

He has more talent than anyone with the bat, the captain aside. He can focus on that for a bit and a couple of games out will assist his reflection. If he chooses to take it harshly, then he's a baby - there's a lad sitting next to him in the pavilion with over 400 test wickets!!

I think the glove work is overplayed

Bairstow has been faultless with the gloves

Foakes was taking standard catches and people were going mad
 
I think the glove work is overplayed

Bairstow has been faultless with the gloves

Foakes was taking standard catches and people were going mad

Yes or no, do you think Foakes is a better keeper? If you say no, you're mugging yourself.

And Bairstow hasn't been faultless. He's been good but not faultless - he struggled a bit with byes in admittedly very tough conditions in the summer. And I don't think he could stand up to Anderson the way Foakes was doing today. He might have a go, but I don't think it's really in his locker.

I agree any decision should be batting led. If Foakes had scored 20 in this match, I would not be saying Foakes should be keeper because of his glovework. But he didn't, he scored one of the best hundreds I've seen from an English player on the sub-continent. Not a chance given until he unselfishly gave it away slogging for the team. Absolutely immaculate and turned the game on its head.

The only people who could conceivably make way for him would be Burns or Root, as they are the only players who didn't contribute. But you can't drop either of them, obviously. To drop Burns would be criminal.
 
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Yes or no, do you think Foakes is a better keeper? If you say no, you're mugging yourself.

And Bairstow hasn't been faultless. He's been good but not faultless - he struggled a bit with byes in admittedly very tough conditions in the summer. And I don't think he could stand up to Anderson the way Foakes was doing today. He might have a go, but I don't think it's really in his locker.

I agree any decision should be batting led. If Foakes had scored 20 in this match, I would not be saying Foakes should be keeper because of his glovework. But he didn't, he scored one of the best hundreds I've seen from an English player on the sub-continent. Not a chance given until he unselfishly gave it away slogging for the team. Absolutely immaculate and turned the game on its head.

The only people who could conceivably make way for him would be Burns or Root, as they are the only players who didn't contribute. But you can't drop either of them, obviously. To drop Burns would be criminal.
He was doing that in the Summer against India.
 
Jimmy and Curran were both pretty toothless today. Stokes brought a bit of aggression which the other two never did. Root played Stokes for nearly all of the second session so he must have guessed he was the best option of the three quicks..

Kandy is up in the hills, do we need 3 spinners up there? Swing a bit more?

Anyhow, currently having a beer on Unawatuna beach in the middle of a power cut. Welcome to the third world :)
 

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